Barack Obama joined Facebook!

Daily Dhaka Times: President Barack Obama joined Facebook on Monday and said he wanted his account to be “a place where we can have real conversations,” diving right in with his first post on climate change.

In that post, Obama took Facebook users on a walk through his back yard at the White House and calling on Americans in a video “to preserve this beautiful planet of ours.”

“Not only do I want future presidents to be able to take walks like this,” Obama said in a video post on his profile. “I want to make sure that the American people are able to enjoy the incredible national parks, incredible beauty, the mountains, the oceans, that have been one of the greatest gifts we’ve ever received.”

The President chose Facebook because “at a time when nearly three in four adults online use Facebook, this feels like a great place to do it,” he writes.

Meanwhile, the “Barack Obama” Facebook account, which has over 45 million followers, continues to be run by Organizing for Action.

Obama, who first joined Twitter in May, has been more active on social media as his second term nears its end, hosting Twitter Q&A’s, interacting with stars of the U.S. Women’s National Soccer team, inviting teen clockmaker Ahmed Mohamed to the White House, joking with Bill Clinton and even revealing his guacamole recipe preference.

The White House launched the POTUS Facebook page Monday with a video showing Obama giving a tour of his backyard — which, as he points out, is also a national park.

“Hello, Facebook! I finally got my very own page,” Obama posted. “I hope you’ll think of this as a place where we can have real conversations about the most important issues facing our country – a place where you can hear directly from me, and share your own thoughts and stories.”

Unlike a personal profile, a page allows public figures to post updates without a friend-to-friend relationship. Obama will no doubt use the page as an extension of his press office, but he also promised, “You can expect some just-for-fun stuff, too.

On his backyard tour, for example, Obama talked about the fox, the hawk and the squirrels that inhabit the south lawn of the White House — but then shifted gears to make a statement about climate change.

The Facebook page follows Obama’s decision to join Twitter earlier this year. White House officials have said his tweets are written in the president’s voice — but not necessarily by the president himself.

Some about President Obama

Mark Zuckerberg
Welcome, President Obama! I’m excited that you’ve joined our community, and I look forward to seeing how you engage with people here on Facebook.

Sheryl Sandberg
Welcome to Facebook, President Obama! Excited for you to have your very own Page – and looking forward to the conversation (and the just-for-fun stuff).

National Parks Conservation Association
President Obama – We love our national parks too! Here are 9 national #ParksInPeril that the public (and you) have the opportunity to protect for future generations. Thank you again for your great support of our national parks. You can learn more about these 9 national #ParksInPeril here: http://parkb.it/1SDMJqW

Congressman Robert J. Dold
Welcome to Facebook, President Obama! I hope we can put aside politics and work together to preserve the environment and protect the Great Lakes!